Rising Above

The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle; so are the grayest. Many of us Pacific Northwesterners suffer through weeks and months of grey sky during the winter . I like to think of it like a warm blanket wrapped around my home for a few months. Who doesn't like a warm winter blanket? Some people get depressed, some people go tanning, and other people move back to California. Me? I like it. But one thing is for sure: It is hard to see through a grey sky. Often I hear birds or airplanes overhead but can't pin down their exact location. If I am being honest, sometimes I can't even pin down the location of the sun! Clouds obfuscate things beyond them and make seeing clearly difficult.

I had a surreal experience the other day. I was hiking up a local mountain summit through the thickest fog I had ever seen. When I got to the top of the mountain (you see where this is going) I had the most stunning view of the land below. I could see deep in the heart of the Cascade Montains all the way across Puget Sound. It was amazing. What appeared to be a think fog was actually a cloud. This cloud made it difficult to see a dozen or yards ahead of me, but when I rose above it I could see for miles.

It is hard to see through a grey sky.

Sometimes organizing a team or event can feel like you are walking through a cloud. You sense the right things but can't pin down exactly where to go. The ideas and execution are right in front of you but, for some reason, you cant pin them down! The only way to see through a fog is to keep marching ahead. Stay on the trail that seemed clear below and make sure to move forward. No you can't see now but you will see again soon if you just keep going.